1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable device having rotatable input buttons and a method of operating the portable device, and more particularly, to a portable device having rotatable input buttons, in which the input buttons mounted on the portable device can be rotated through a predetermined angle to execute specific functions, and a method of operating the portable device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) are gradually supporting various environments in many fields. For example, a three-dimensional (3D) environment-User Interface (UI) has recently started to be introduced into the gaming field. Furthermore, various GUI environments, such as an interface environment having a zoom in/out function, through which users cannot navigate using only an existing two-dimensional navigation-type 4-way (up, down, left and right) key, are coming into existence.
Further, many devices are gradually trending toward small size and multiple functions, so that input devices capable of supporting various and multiple functions are required.
Conventional 4-way keys support only a navigation scheme of mapping the (+) and (−) directions of x and y axes to four buttons, respectively, and enabling movements along x and y axes.
However, although different types of input devices are required as UIs have gradually diversified into various types (for example, a 3D UI and a zoom in/out UI), only a limited range of UI shapes has been designed, and has not changed. Therefore, the existing 4-way key capable of supporting only 4 directional movements continues to be used.
That is, there are many cases where a method of performing navigation in the z-axis direction is not actually supported in a 3D environment. Even in the case of the zoom in/out function, the 4-way key is repeatedly used (for example, up and down buttons are used for the zoom in/out function when 4 directional movements are not supported).
Furthermore, there are problems in that it is not possible to perform simultaneous navigation in three axial directions, and the same input element (for example, a button of the 4-way key) is variously used as different navigation buttons depending on the circumstances, thus causing difficulty when using the 4-way key.
Accordingly, in order to support navigation functions in various changing environments (for example, a z-axis navigation function or a zoom in/out function in a 3D environment) which cannot be dealt with using the existing 4-way key, a new type of input device is required.
Japanese Unexamined Patent No. 2002-0916809 (Switch Device and Portable Terminal) discloses a switch device and a portable terminal, in which a first switch capable of selecting functions along a cross path and a second switch rotating around the first switch are included, and the function of the first switch can be changed by rotating the handle of the second switch. However, the above-mentioned patent aims only to change the function of the first switch when the handle of the second switch is rotated, but does not disclose a technology for changing the arrangement of objects on a screen to correspond to the position of the switch.